


The Hour of Midnight Wild

by jolybird



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Diagon Alley, F/M, Fred's Not Dead, Magizoology (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 03:23:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16109759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolybird/pseuds/jolybird
Summary: When a pack of magical creatures takes residence in Diagon Alley, it throws the street into chaos. When the shopkeepers learn this sudden migration might have something to do with Magical Dead Zones that are popping up all over the world, they decide to take matters into their own hands.Of course, for Luna Lovegood, dragged into the mess by the promise of mysterious magical creature and George Weasley who worked too hard to be kicked out of his shop by misshapen cats, taking matters into their own hands might lead to a bit more than they counted on.





	The Hour of Midnight Wild

**Author's Note:**

> A million thanks to the mods for hosting this lovely fest. I didn't need an excuse to write for this ship but I'm so grateful for the challenge! This fic would be one long stream of thought if not for my ever patient beta. 
> 
> Please go check out my artist's amazing graphics immediately. They were the inspiration I needed to drag myself to the computer after a long day and continue working on this fic!!
> 
> The title comes from an Emily Bronte poem.

Luna was sprawled out over three chairs with her legs hanging over the back of one of them when Ginny burst into their flat. Her hair was starting to come loose from her pony tail and her cheeks were flushed. 

After she caught her breath and managed to suppress her grin, she said, “You won’t believe what’s going on out there.”

Luna glanced from the book hovering above her as she turned the page with a lazy flick of her wand, “Have your brothers built another dungbomb barricade?” The last time they had done so, the smell was so bad, there were muggle police outside their window for days trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. It had taken a lot of talking for them to get out of their citation. 

Ginny shook her head, hands on her hips as she shut the door behind her. “No, I actually think they’re innocent because Fred was throwing a fit about his watercress but half the street is still convinced it’s them.”

Fred Weasley was very proud of the watercress he grew on the back deck of his and his twin’s flat above their shop. If something had happened to it, it was a very dark day in Diagon Alley indeed. She dropped the book onto the table next to her and sat up, “What’s happening?”

“Something has eaten all the flowers outside Fortescue's, knocked over all the cauldrons outside Potage's and eaten all of Fred’s watercress.”

That caught her attention, “They have guests in Diagon Alley? Do you think they’re on our street as well? We’re only four away.” She got up and went to their window that overlooked muggle London. Their street was the last magical street in the area, something that Ginny’s Mum wasn’t too happy about but her Dad stopped by frequently to have lunch and watch the muggle cars drive by.

“Come on, I came to get you because I know you’re going to love this.” Ginny stomped her foot lightly and readjusted her ponytail. 

Luna was already digging her shoes out from underneath the couch and a sweater from over one of the kitchen chairs, “Do they know what it is?”

“No idea. There’s no sign of anything and Fred’s been hunting it down all morning.”

Luna paused with her head halfway out of the sweater, arms stretched over her head, “Why’s George not stopping him from trying to get revenge on an innocent creature?” She pulled the sweater down and tucked her wand into her bun. George was usually the slightly more rational one. It wasn’t like him to just sit by while someone went to hurt a living thing (Hogwarts students and slight illnesses being one of the only exceptions). 

Ginny held the door open for Luna and then the two of them were off down the street. “Let’s just get back there before the mystery is up.” Ginny was suffering through a temporary suspension from the Harpies after her third concussion of the season and was going stir crazy. Luna was starting to get a little worried over how fiercely she latched onto gossip and slightly out of the ordinary occurrences.

“Morning you two!” Mrs. Arai called as she wrangled her children out the door. The two youngest had matching black cat backpacks on. All three children went to muggle primary school and Ginny often babysat them whenever their parents needed a break. 

She waved at them, excited as always to see the children, “Morning! Have a good day at school, try not to break the international statute of secrecy today!”

Mrs. Arai shook her head and laughed while sending Ginny an amused glare. The three children giggled to themselves, nearly tumbling down the steps as they whispered to each other. 

Wizarding children were nothing if not resilient and they ended up hopping down the stairs and ribbitting down the street as their mother followed, smiling fondly. 

Diagon Alley certainly didn’t look invaded as they rounded the corner but it was odd that Fortescue’s flowers hadn’t been regrown yet. The street wasn’t particularly crowded, seeing as Hogwarts had just started up again for the year and the preterm rush had subsided. Luna followed Ginny over to Fortescue’s and poked around in the empty window boxes, something had eaten their flowers from petal to root.

There was a knock on the window and Yasmin waved them in. She had taken over the parlor after the war and was one of the most kind hearted and menacing witches Luna had ever met. The shop wasn’t due to open for another couple of hours still but she was cooking something that smelled amazing. “I will give you free ice cream for a year if you figure out what ate our flowers and how to stop them from eating them again.” She shouted through the window. 

Luna and Ginny already had free ice cream for several years but it would be rude to bring it up, “Has Eeylops lost any rabbits recently?” Luna asked as they went inside. It was warm and sugary with a hint of citrus in the air. 

Yasmin shook her head, “I’ve searched for squirrels and deer as well and nothing’s come up. I even stormed over to Weasley’s but--”

“Watercress?” Luna and Ginny said, almost in unison. 

Yasmin nodded, “Watercress.” An oven dinged from the back room and she glanced over her shoulder, “That’ll be the lemon cookies. Come on, have a mid-morning snack with me.”

“The Harpies won’t have me back if you keep giving me sweets.” Ginny complained but followed Yasmin and Luna and they went into the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

George Weasley was having an eventful morning. Which, seeing as he worked at a  _ joke _ shop where things could and did frequently go wrong, was saying a lot. 

Three of their esteemed neighboring shopkeepers had burst into their flat--not the shop--their actual flat above the store--demanding if they were responsible for their aesthetic vegetation’s overnight mutilation. 

His darling little sister appeared quite suddenly, still covered in muck from an early morning Quidditch practice, laughed her arse off for ten useless minutes and then vanished back into the street. 

And his separated-at-birth other half had been ranting about his watercress since daybreak. George had tried every growth spell he knew but whatever had vandalized the plants of Diagon Alley had eaten Fred’s watercress down to the tip of the root. 

So his morning had been completely useless and it was already time to open up shop downstairs. Which he was doing alone since Fred had decided to nip down to grab some more watercress. 

George strongly suspected there was something special about the plant but it didn’t have any after-effects or odd properties. Some people just developed weird habits as they got older and it certainly could have been worse. 

Right as George was unlocking the front door, a voice called out from across the street, “Good morning, George Weasley, we’ve come to pay respects to Fred’s departed garden.” 

“Bit bold of you to call a couple window boxes a garden, Lovegood.” George spun around with a grin on his face. He never quite knew what to expect from his little sister’s flatmate, but it was always brilliant. 

She held up a plate of cookies and glanced between him and their flat upstairs, “Where is he?”

“He’s already gone to get more.” 

Behind Luna, Ginny and Yasmin laughed and exchanged a couple galleons. “Have you fed the Puffs yet?” 

George held the door open for the three women and tried not to get offended as the pygmy puffs in question all gave a little excited hum at their presence. Fred swore one bit him once but George refused to believe their teeth could do any damage to anything at all. “You can feed them but you can’t take any more to  _ foster _ . We all know they’re not coming back.” 

“We came to visit just last week!” Luna protested. Which,  _ fair,  _ she had put them all in a picnic basket, walked them through the streets of London and stopped by for some light refreshments and a meeting with the rest of the poffle. But his sister and Lovegood had stolen those pygmy puffs and they very well knew it. 

The door rang open and George didn’t turn around because he was fully expecting his brother and half past five in the morning was too early to be concerned about plants of any sort. 

Ginny’s eyes lit up in a way that said it wasn’t one of her brothers, “Hermione!” 

George did turn around at that, “Have you finally escaped from the Ministry?”

She rolled her eyes and deposited the rolls of parchment in her arms on the counter next to the register. “I’ve been sent to investigate the complaints of rogue creatures in the area.” 

“I bet it was Madam Puddlefoot.” Yasmin whispered under her breath. The two witches might be having a passive aggressive feud but George valued his neck too much to investigate. 

“And no matter how silly I may think it is, it’s my duty as the assistant apprentice to the deputy head investigator of the beast division to investigate all concerns as large or small as they may be.” 

“Oh you really don’t want to be here, do you?” Luna cooed, head tilted in concern as Yasmin laughed. 

“They’ve got  _ you _ working as a assistant apprentice to a deputy what’s it?”

“Deputy Head Investigator of the Beast Division.” Hermione sighed, “It’s a start. I’ve actually managed to change the wording on several ordinances to give some humanity back to werewolves. It’s tiny steps but steps all the same. So. What do you have bothering everyone?”

“You’ll want to be quick because Fred is in a right foul mood, but something helped itself to--”

“All our plants from petal to root.” Yasmin interrupted. 

“So there’s no organic material left.” 

“There’s not even a bite of the plants left.” 

“Interesting.” Hermione scribbled something into her notebook and looked to Luna, “Do you have any ideas?”

“Not yet, but it’s still early.”

Ginny leaned back against the counter, “What did you do to draw the short straw?”

Hermione squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, “Changed the wording on a couple ordinances.”

George shook his head and tossed her a cookie. 

 

* * *

 

George was sitting on the steps of their balcony, letting the early autumn breeze chill him into something calmer. He had woken from a nightmare again. It had been cold and empty and still. He knew it was crazy, that everything was perfectly fine. But it had shaken him away and chased sleep from his mind. 

There was a cup of tea in his hands and he sipped it silently. If he squinted, he could make out form stars in the sky but there weren’t as many here as there had been at home. At the Burrow he always felt part of something much larger than the garden gnomes and the laundry on the clothes lines. Here he was more focused on what he was doing. It was more individual, it was more isolated in a crowd. 

Sometimes he wanted to see the stars. 

Most of the time he loved the shop. 

He took another sip of his tea and tried to convince himself he wasn’t waiting up for Fred. His twin had vanished to go for just a couple drinks several hours ago and while he wasn’t waiting up for him, he’d feel much better once his pissed arse stumbled home and into bed. 

Merlin’s tit, he was starting to sound like his mother. 

George strongly suspected he was seeing someone but if Fred didn’t want to tell him, George wasn’t going to ask. He was still slightly scarred from the time Fred told him a bit too many details about his Yule Ball date. Some things you don’t need details with. 

The breeze sent shivers down his spine and voices echoed from down the street. Someone heading home from the pubs, probably. How late was it? Could he nip down for a quick drink? See if any of the late crowd was around? Katie Bell was usually at the pub at Merin’s tit in the morning on her way home from work. 

The voice echoed again and oh, he knew that voice. It was the same as his. 

George stood and peered down the alley. The drunken stumble of the taller one was his twin’s. God, he hoped he had never looked that pissed. 

“Oi, Georgie.” Fred called in a loud whisper that was probably going to wake several of the neighbors up. 

“Oi, get your arses up here before the street puts in another formal complaint.” 

“Would you like to nip up for tea?” Fred asked the other shadow and then laughed. George thought about sending their carpet down to pick them but but then something crashed down in the shop below them. 

“Have you company?” Fred’s companion asked, his wand suddenly out. He held it like he had been taken by surprise one too many times and was loathe to let it happen again. 

“Probably a pygmy puff.” George hurried down the stairs and pointed a finger at the pair of them to keep them still. Surprisingly, it worked. They both suddenly stopped wavering and actually stood a little straighter. 

As he rounded a corner, there was a rustling from the shop next to them. George frowned and realized what was probably going on a split second before he ran back over to Fred.

“What’s it?” his twin asked, leaning onto the other man for dear life. 

“You two stay right here and Fred, give me your wand.” 

Fred just stared at him like he was addled, “Of course I’m not giving you my wand you lopsided git.” 

“Mine’s in the flat.” George hissed and Fred honest to Merlin’s saggy left arsecheek chucked his wand at him. It jerked in mid-air and landed in George’s hand. Whoever Fred’s mate was, he was still quick thinking even this many drinks in. George whispered a quick, “ _ Lumos.” _

There was nothing on the street--wait. He squinted down at the cobblestones, ever so faintly near the wall was a light footstep. It looked like a cat possible? If a cat had him out on the street this late at night he was going to be so annoyed. 

Fred and his companion, seemingly having fulfilled their  _ stay right there _ quota, came to stand by him. George sent them both a wry glance that they expertly ignored. 

“Do you think--”

Glass shattered, and a moment later a thin, fine dusting started to float through the air. 

“Oh I don’t like that.” Fred whispered right before something else crashed inside their own shop. There was a moment of absolute silence and then there was a great whooshing sound, a bright orange light and intense heat. 

George didn’t have time to do anything other than throw himself at his twin and cast _protego_. 

 

* * *

 

Luna was fast asleep when suddenly Ginny was shaking her awake, “I hear shouting.” 

It had been years since the war but suddenly Luna was back in the Ravenclaw dormitory, flinching awake at every sound, checking her coin, making sure none of the first years wandered outside the common room after dark. She was back in the cells beneath the Malfoy Manor with Dean and Griphook and Mr. Ollivander. 

Wand in hand, she pulled on some shoes and then her and Ginny were out on the street. 

“I’m going to be the rational one for a change and say that since it’s coming from the Alley, it’s probably just some lost botanical thieves out for a midnight snack.” Ginny had too tight a grip on her wand for her words to be anything but forced. 

When Luna was younger she became used to travelling through Devon on her own. She went to the shops and once when she was very young, chased an escaped garden gnome though the streets of St. Ottery Catchpole with Charlie Weasley and Cedric Diggory. 

Ginny used to write in a diary. Now she sometimes had aversions to writing anything down at all.

Luna watched as Ginny drew in a deep breath, puffed out her cheeks, and then let the breath out slowly. 

Rationally, she was right. Rationally it was nothing but--Ginny sprinted ahead as they rounded the corner and Luna was so preoccupied with not losing her in the crowd, that she didn’t realize the twin’s shop was on fire until they were next to Fred who was swearing about how he couldn’t believe this was the second time someone attempted to burn down the shop. 

“Someone?” Ginny asked and Fred pushed both her and Luna behind him. It was more a warning to them that they weren’t to take any stupid risks than doing anything to protect them. 

“Well, round two was those cats. They knocked around too much next door and that set off something upstairs.” 

“And where’s our brother?”

“Inside. I was deemed too flammable to be of assistance.” 

Indeed Fred was still dressed like he had just come back from a muggle club and he kept catching his balance at odd moments. Ginny sent Luna a small smile. 

A blast of smoke and the sound of sizzling came from near the third floor and the flames disappeared.

“See? Nothing to worry about at all.” Fred said, transparent in his worry.  “Where’s Ollivander? I told him we had the hottest shop in London.” 

Luna quite frequently had lunch with the elderly wizard and his son. He and Fred curiously had some sort of rivalry going on between them. She didn’t know why; Ollivander had a respected wandshop and Fred had a wildly popular joke shop. They were incomparable. 

Regardless, Fred was consistently sneaking joke wands into the other man’s shop and Ollivander kept spelling Fred’s own wand to do a number of silly things. Once he had jinxed it to be stuck on the ceiling of the shop for two and a half days. It was a good thing they were both behaving now. 

Something cracked inside the building, it echoed and then--oh. She ran into the building, ignoring Fred and Ginny’s warning shouts and was very nearly run over by both George and and a tall, dark skinned man who was sweating profusely about fireworks. 

“Morning, Lu, back outside if you please.” George said as he went to usher her out of the building.

But if there were fireworks involved, running now would only make things worse. It would be best to nip it right in the bud now. Several fireworks shot off from the third floor and Luna rolled up her sleeves as she made her way to the stairs. 

“She’s mad.” the other man said as George followed after her. 

“Can you grab--”

“On it,” the man shouted, and then oddly, “It’s nice to finally meet you by the way.” 

“Who was that?” Luna asked, trying to keep it light as some of the creatures scampered around her legs. The were almost catlike, with long, graceful legs. Their ears were thin and pointy. Luna didn’t recognize them. 

George shouted and Luna spun around to see a firework headed her way. She lifted her wand to deflect and dodged out of the way as someone beat her to it. 

“ _Protego_!” Hermione caught Luna as she overbalanced and smiled encouragingly. She had gotten half dressed, but still had one of Ron’s Chudley Cannons shirts on and her hair was piled into a messy bun on her head, “You alright?” 

“Yes, thanks to you. Is Ronald around here somewhere?” 

“Somewhere. Well I guess we know what the problem is now.”

“Oh they’re afraid—“

“I was thinking about Fred and George’s poor firework safety practices, actually.” 

Luna summoned a little rain cloud to put out the sparks that were falling on the sidewalk next to them, they’d certainly have to rethink the storage, yes. “They’re Wolpertingers by the way.”

“I have no idea what they are.” Hermione said in a tone that suggested some textbook author was going to be receiving some strongly worded letters in the near future. “You’re alright though?”

“Oh yes. Perfectly fine.” Now that the mid-October firework show was over, everyone was starting to wander back to their beds. Luna wasn’t quite sure what time it was. 

“Morning ladies,” Fred said, sauntering over like he wasn’t still wearing what he had been yesterday. Luna could almost see Hermione’s decision to not ask him about it on her face. She frowned pointedly and squinted her eyes a little before glancing back towards Ron. 

“That was a frightening twenty minutes.” Fred laughed, hands on his hips. 

“Good thing we followed the emergency procedures.” 

“Quick thinking.” Fred smirked and George laughed as he handed Luna the shopping basket of Pygmy Puffs. They were making a low whining noise and she started petting them to quiet them. 

“Oh.” Hermione whispered, “I’ll be right back.” 

“Is that Harry that emerged from the darkness over there?” Fred squinted and then he swore, “Nope. Sorry Harry wherever you all all tucked up warm in bed, that was diary of me to say.” 

“You don’t actually know who that is.”

“I’m guessing he’s one of our dear Hermione’s evil overlords given the glare Ron is sending his back right now.” Luna glanced over and sure enough, Ron was standing next to Yasmin, glaring daggers into the man’s back. He had messy dark hair and glasses but that was where the similarities ended. 

The pygmy puffs in the basket all did a little wave that made it seem like a breeze had passed through them, “Oh do stop being so dramatic. It’s a perfectly lovely night, it’s not cold at all.”    
“They take after their father.” George deadpanned and nodded to Fred who was oblivious to the teasing as he crossed his arms over his chest and shivered dramatically as he watched someone down the street. He waved and then turned back to them. 

“So…” George began, an eyebrow arched suggestively. Fred just kicked the remnant of a firework at him, causing George to jump out of the way as it sparked. 

Hermione, hair back up in a bun was scowling when she made her way back over to them, “They’re quarantining the entire street.”

Fred tilted his head and leaned back a bit, “I’m sorry, they’re what?”

“They having everyone evacuate the street, giving it over to the Wolpertingers and then once we know more about what they’re running from and why, the ministry will relocate them.”

Luna laughed despite herself and then blushed, “Sorry.”

“Just for that you’re going to have to help us.” George teased, sending a few sparks from his wand over the pygmy puffs who then cooed in a way Luna couldn’t decipher. 

“I was going to help you anyway.” The pygmy puffs did another little wave and sighed, “I’m going to take these guys to the flat really quick though.” 

“We are being robbed blind of pygmy puffs.” George hissed loudly. “Someone stop her.” 

“We know where she lives.” Fred’s voice was even and light. 

“We are being robbed and no one cares.” George shouted.

Yasmin took Luna’s arm as she reached her and Ron and the three of them rounded the corner, heading to the flat. “I’m gonna nick a coffee.” Ron yawned. 

“I’m surrounded by thieves tonight it seems.” Yasmin smiled and quickened her step down the sidewalk. “So that was actually a bit frightening. I remember the last time their shop went up in flames. Mum apparated us right to the underground where we rode the trains all night until we were at my Grandmother’s in France. Then we went to Dida’s house. I’m almost craving kheer.” 

“Why haven’t you started selling it at the shop?”

“I really should. I should have Dida come visit and make some for the shop.” Yasmin nodded as if it were already decided. 

“I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind if we stayed at the flat a little longer to have a quick snack.” 

Yasmin laughed, “Ron Weasley your brothers and sister would drag you kicking and screaming from the flat before I had the milk warm.” 

Luna undid the security spells with a couple flicks of her wand and quickly deposited the pygmy puffs with their siblings in Ginny’s room before she went to resolve the quiet bickering coming from her kitchen. 

 

* * *

 

Luna pushed open the door to the shop only to have it nearly fall off its hinges. She repaired with a quick flick of her wand. 

“I didn’t think you were coming back?”

“Of course I came back. I gave my word that I would help you get your things out, didn’t I?” 

George smiled, he had dark bags under his eyes and a coffee in his hand despite the hour. He let her have a sip and she almost spat it back out, it was more a coffee-flavored pepperup potion than anything else.

“You could probably market that to some of the shops.”

“Probably.” George shrugged as he took another sip. He shuddered and Luna immediately regretted speaking as he shot off in a jittery explosion towards the love potions. 

“You know,” Fred said as he climbed a ladder next to her, a Wolpertinger tucked under one arm, “ We could have had this entire place boxed up in sixty seconds if we’d the time to formulate a spell and someone wasn’t running on caffeine alone.” 

“Who was that man who was helping you before?”

Fred glanced down to her and then began to empty the shelf next to him with a flick of his wand. He leaned against the display, hands tucked into his pockets. If he wasn’t careful, he’d knock the whole thing right over. “Nothing escapes you, does it?”

She smiled, not unkindly, and mimed zipping her lips. 

“Thanks, Lu.” 

That was the first time he’d called her anything but Lovegood. She hoped that he didn’t keep secrets from George for too long. It didn’t do much good in the long run for anyone. 

“I don’t know about you but I don’t want to see the sunrise.” George shouted from across the way. Seeing as the sky out the window was starting to turn the pale grey that always used to greet Luna in the Ravenclaw dining room, he wasn’t going to get what he wanted. She sighed and Fred groaned.

“When he drops unconscious to the ground, I’m not dragging him out of here.” 

“Oh don’t tease, Ron’s here, you know.” 

Ron had been there for the thankfully short few moments that it appeared that they had lost Fred. It may have lasted only moments before they could find a pulse, but the memory was still there. Ron still remembered the cold dread, the sense of loss flooding his veins. 

Fred’s smile slipped from his face, “The war stole from us in strange ways.” 

“An ear, a joke, the ability to sleep through the night.” Luna shrugged and his smile was back. 

As if summoned, Ron appeared in the doorway a moment later, yawning. 

“Great. Can you nip upstairs and get started on the Wonder Witch stock?” George called, catching a couple viles that his spell had knocked loose. He beamed, proud of his quick reflexes and then turned with a complicated flourish of his wand. 

Ron’s eyebrows were raised and his nose scrunched up as he mouthed  _ he is alright _ . Luna and Fred both shook their heads. Fred mimicked drinking as Luna explained, “Too much pepperup in his coffee.” 

Ron put his hands up and silently headed upstairs. Luna never had siblings, but sometimes she wished she had some like the Weasley’s. They were always rallying around each other, no matter how much they fought. 

As she finished packing up a box, George came up beside her. He was still shaky but for some reason he appeared calmer than he had all night. Sometimes you just needed a clear plan of action in front of you. 

“Will you be okay?” 

“We have the catalog. We’ll have a sale and be fine.” 

“It’ll be nice not to have to be in the shop all day. It’s a vacation we won’t have to bribe our siblings for.” 

“Oi!” Ron shouted from several floors up. 

“You have to be bribed and you know it!” George shouted back and Luna tucked her wand behind her ear and picked up a box. 

“The Burrow first?” 

He nodded so she stepped out into the street (all of Diagon Alley had been magicked so thoroughly at it’s foundation that all these years later, it was still impossible to apparate inside buildings or what was inside buildings at the time--something she herself didn’t realize until after she started hanging about the shop) and she apparated away. 

She only had to wait a moment before Ron was beside her and Ginny appeared a moment later. 

“You have fireworks in there, don’t you?”

“I wanted to get them out first so there would be no more mishaps.” 

“I want your self confidence just for one day.” Ron laughed loudly and before she could scold him for it--of course he should be confident in himself, he was incredible--a light came on and Ginny hummed. 

“Perce is home.” 

Luna received all the family stories by proxy. Charlie had moved back in with his parents for a couple months and then right when his burn had healed, Percy appeared on the doorstep shouting about possibly having to move back in as well. Guess he did indeed move back home after all. 

And now they were with half the contents of the shop. She did hope the twins remembered to pack up their personal belongings as well. Although, she supposed that with four brothers and Ginny, they’d probably manage fine borrowing things until the ban was lifted. 

Arthur met them at the door in a robe, Molly and Percy were whispering back and forth as they came down the stairs, “Is everything alright?”

“Yes if you forget about the fact Fred and George nearly took out half of Wizarding London.” 

“Oh they did no such thing. Dad, he’s being dramatic.” Ginny hissed. 

He looked at his children evenly for a moment then turned to Luna, “What’s happened?”

Luna ignored Ron and Ginny’s indignant mutterings as they put their boxes down and Luna quickly summed up their eventful evening. 

 

* * *

 

George walked up the front steps to the Burrow, arms full of potions in various shades of pinks and blues. 

His mum opened the door and sighed, “We can’t have a single quiet month can we?”

“What would be the fun in that?” George smiled and she took the potions from him. 

“We’re putting everything in the shed.” 

George thought of gnomes and how they liked to take turns locking each other in the muggle washing machine. 

“Ron and Hermione have already placed a few extra protective spell on it, you don’t have to worry about a pack of love-struck gnomes following you about.” 

George pursed his lips, “Actually, Mum” 

She swatted him playfully, “Where’s your brother?”

“He’s trying to be as less destructive as he can back at the shop. I told him he wasn’t allowed to apparate without anyone. He’d just gotten back from the pub when everything took a turn for the decidedly more awake.” 

“I’ll go get him, then?” 

George shook his head, “No that’s fine, I don’t want you to get any ideas when you see the shop.” 

She handed the box of potions back at her son, “I’m going to get them regardless. I’ll grab your brother and be right back.” She stepped out onto the porch and marched off to the garden gate. 

Luna appeared in the doorway and took the potions from him, “I’ll take these to the shed and you can go help your mother wrangle Fred.” 

“Thanks, Lu,” he said quickly and then went after them. 

“Ah--here’s my illustrious twin now.” Fred said the moment he walked back into the shop. “I’m not here for you, I’m here to pack our stock up so when you wake up hungover tomorrow you don’t try to break into a ministry restricted area and--”

“Can’t believe my bed is a ministry restricted area--” Fred sighed, looking forlorn. George felt exactly the same way. “Mum, if you’d be so kind--could you lend a hand upstairs.” 

Their Mum jumped at the chance to see their flat (she was positive all her children were missing vitally important appliances and accessories). They left talking about the state of their kitchen, leaving George in the empty shop. 

This was one way to survive a lonely night. 

George looked around the shop: the game plan was simple. Remove everything potentially dangerous for a freeloading, breaking and entering demon lizard cat rabbit and to the surrounding area of magic was suddenly gone. If magic were to cease to exist in Diagon Alley...the entire place would probably disintegrate. Magic was probably the only thing holding the neighborhood together. 

He squared his shoulders: get rid of everything dangerous and take enough stock to last them until the ban was lifted. Which hopefully would be soon because he liked having a storefront. He liked having people come in and helping them find the right prank for them. He was good at it. 

Irregardless, it would be near effortless to break back inside but out of respect for Hermione fighting the good fight from inside the Ministry and the solid decade their had been friends, they’d be on their best behavior. 

The spell was complicated in theory but easy in practice. All it took was a little folding and some carefully placed flicks and the shop was boxed up neatly. 

Well, sort of neatly, he distinctly heard some fake wands go off in the bottom of on of the boxes and there was a slight chance of the box on the far left just exploding but...it was alright. 

Fred and his Mum appeared back downstairs, each with a bag slung over their shoulders. “Got your stuff, Georgie. Let’s get back, I’m knackered.” 

Their Mum was suspiciously quiet as she looked around the distinctively empty shop. Yeah. It was weird to see it this empty, even at the start of the school year they were pretty on top of restocking the shelves. Fred made a show out of it and usually dropped a small trick or two into an unsuspecting toddler’s pockets. “Did you just pack all of this up yourself or was a small army down here to help?” 

Ginny and Hermione walked through the door giggling wildly to themselves. They quieted at the sight of George and then burst out laughing again. If he were any more awake he’d be highly offended. 

“Wow you guys worked fast.” 

“Ah, it was all my illustrious twin.” Fred smiled and headed out the door without even considering picking up a box. George grabbed one in his place and headed out. 

“Sometimes I think they don’t realize how powerful they are.” Ginny sighed and if George were more awake he’d probably let it go to his head. 

After depositing the box in the shed and kicking a few curious gnomes away from the door, George went into the kitchen. As he went to make himself another cup of coffee, Luna appeared from nowhere and swatted at his hands. “Don’t you dare, George Weasley.” 

By the time he stopped sighing, she had left the room. Half sulking, partly because his legs were shaking a little bit, George sat down at the table and rested his forehead on his palm. He shut his eyes for just a moment and let some of the stress leave him. 

He breathed in and out and focuses on the din around him.

When he was little, he remembered falling asleep on the couch while his parents had friends over for a small Christmas party. The noise had encompassed him, all the conversations, laughter and screams from his younger siblings surrounded him. It was the safest he’d ever felt. He was so comfortable and happy. That moment was untouchable. 

Nevermind twenty years later he had laid on the same couch, in the same din, bleeding from a head wound given to him by his professor. 

The Christmas lights and Ron on that little toy broom zooming above his head were the equivalent of a perfect peaceful moment. 

He was dimly aware of Luna and Hermione saying good night before Ron was manhandling him to his feet. George just sighed and did his best attempt to not be dead weight. 

 

* * *

 

He never really considered the notion the he, Mum, Luna, and Percy would ever be seated in the common area sorting through catalog orders for the joke shop. 

But. Here. They. Were. 

“Is it really wise to send one third year this much love potion?” His mother frowned, checking and double checking to make sure she had the item numbers and amounts right. 

“They wear off before they can do any real harm.” 

“So, Luna,” Percy said, effectively nipping that conversation in the bud, “how did you get tricked into this?”

“I wasn’t tricked--” she began before George cut her off. 

“She’s writing a piece on grindylows and is waiting for our very own sister in law to get back to her with a quote. And by that she means she’s procrastinating because if she really needed a quote she could have always popped round there in guise of seeing how Fred’s getting along instead of here.” 

“I’ll have you know, I was visiting my father and heard the shouting.” 

“Shouting?” 

George’s Mum laughed girlishly and Percy immediately dropped what he was working on. “What were the two of you up to before I showed up?”

“Dad was helping.”

Their Mum laughed louder and Percy looked like he didn’t quite know what to make of the situation. “Where’s Dad?”

“Once he stopped professing his adoration to the curtains he went off to visit his grandchildren actually.”

“See. A second chance to get a quote.” 

Luna waved her hand in a light shushing motion without looking away from where she was digging through a box of fireworks. Honestly, George was a little concerned about her nonchalant approach to them. After all, they had nearly taken out half of Diagon Alley. 

The front door opened with a shuffle and then Ron was whispering loudly about sneaking something to eat. 

“Is my magizoologist here?” Hermione called out, “we’ve been near everywhere and--Oh. Ron, you were right, she is here.” The woman had a thoughtful look on her face he didn’t quite like so George sent a small flying sparkler towards her. Hermione laughed and sent him an even more knowing look before she came to sit on the couch behind them. 

“I hope you’re paying fair wages.” 

“George has promised to cook us all supper if we help.” 

“And where’s Fred?”

“Off with that West End bloke I’d imagine.” 

“What West End bloke?” 

George face paled instantly at his mother’s words and then squinted down at the order form in his hands, it was quite possible whoever had written on it was either just learning how to hold a quill or was completely pissed when they attempted to write a note in special requests. 

Luna tapped her wand on the edge of the paper, “ _ Scripturam revēlō _ .”  

The lines straightened out in front of his face right before his mother pulled it from his hands like he was a guilty toddler drawing on Bill’s Hogwarts acceptance letter again. 

“What West End bloke is your brother seeing?”

“I took an oath of silence about Fred’s disastrous taste in romantic pursuits--”

“ _ Oh _ ,” his Mum sighed, shoulders slumping and smiling, “I thought you two were trying to market to the theater.” 

“You know, Mum, that is a  _ great _ \--”

“I think it’s time you got started on dinner while we finish up.” His mother’s words were short and clipping and George just got up and retreated to the kitchen. Ron was seated on the counter picking through a bag of sweets and George enlisted him with a potato straight to the face. 

Three near-disasters, a surprise appearance of the former Chosen One of the Entire Wizarding World, and a supper that managed to draw in two more Weasleys later and George finally decide he was done working for the day. 

He grabbed a drink from the fridge and then went to sit out on the porch. He had silence for all of thirty seconds before Hermione joined him. She at least had a drink in her hands as well and she took a sip as she sat down. 

“How much time off are you racking up from this?”

She laughed and just took another sip, “after all the rain the past couple of days, it’s nice to have such a lovely night for a change.” 

The moon was bright in the sky, a week away from being full. George stretched out his legs and let the breeze cool him off. “I always said you need to get kicked out of your home by migrating cats every so often for a fresh perspective on things.” 

He could feel Hermione roll her eyes. 

“I have an idea.” Luna said quietly from behind them. Hermione started, laughed at herself and then pat the space between her and George. Luna sat down and laced her fingers together. “I was looking over your notes. There’s one of the magic-free zones in Greenland.”

“Greenland?” George asked, already not liking the direction this conversation was headed. 

“The Ministry wouldn’t send someone there.”  

Hermione bit her lip and then tilted her head, “No, they wouldn’t.” Hermione and Luna were the worst when they put their heads together, and coming from one half of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, that was saying something. 

“If we know right now what these things are like--and not have to wait until it clears the ministry's public relations department…” 

“It’ll be dangerous.” 

“Not really. Lots of muggles live inside this area. It’s perfectly safe. The Wolpertinger just don’t like it. It unsettles them.” 

“It’s in the middle of the mountains,” Hermione said but there was no force behind her words, it was just a reminder. 

“I’ll go with you.” George said, which was quite a shock to him before he realize that he couldn’t live with himself if Luna went without him, “I’ll go with her. We’ll bring a tent, we’ll be quick.” 

“Are you sure?”

Luna nodded and took George’s hand between her own, “You won’t even notice we’re gone.” 

“We’ll send you a postcard.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Luna whispered and turned back to Hermione, “ We’ll be safe, we’ll be quick, we’ll be quiet and we’ll owl you the moment we’re back.” 

“I mean it, both of you, be safe.” 

George gave her a thumbs up and a grin that made her laugh. 

 

* * *

 

The wind whipped around them and George tightened his grip on his wand. With his other hand, he pulled the hood of his parka closer. Even with the heating charm, his face stung. 

Luna glanced up at him, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” 

“We came this far and there’s no use of turning back once we’ve made it.” 

Luna nodded, a small smile on her lips, “ _Expecto patronum_.” 

The silver hare George had become accustomed to bursting through the wall of the shop when Ginny was late for dinner bounded over the snow covered mounds for a couple seconds and then vanished, silver sparks blowing away in the breeze.

“There,” George announced, mostly because seeing proof of a possible magical dead zone frightened him more than he cared to admit and he put his wand away. 

The pair of them trudged through the snow in silence, every joke George could make froze somewhere in his throat. When they reached the spot the patronus vanished, George nearly apparated away on instinct. It felt wrong. Together, they stepped forward and the heating charm was gone. 

“Bloody hell--” The wind whipped straight though his clothes and no wonder Luna looked like she was wearing her entire closet. Walking through a blizzard without magic was horrible. If he were a muggle he wouldn’t leave his house until spring. 

Luna held up her wand as she took a step back, “Lumos.” She glanced to him and then nodded in the opposite direction. Without waiting for acknowledgement that he understood (he didn’t), she was off. When her wand went out, she pulled a flag from her bag, stuck it in the snow, took a step back and relit her wand.

A couple of things clicked into place at once--the flags they both had in their packs actually had a use and that use was to map the dead zone, Luna hadn’t been entirely truthful with her knowledge of what this thing actually looked like, and she was completely crazy to think she could do this herself. His chest flared up and he stepped out from inside the deadzone and recast the warming spell. 

Dead zone. Possible danger. Focus. He sent some sparks from his wand in the shape of the dragon he and Fred sent after Umbridge their last day at Hogwarts. When it vanished, he marked the edge and continued on. 

After a while, he realized his legs were aching and he glanced up for Luna. 

Who was nowhere in sight.  


Shit.    


George turned around and started trudging back along their makeshift fence. He didn’t think he had been walking for that long, but the dead zone was bigger than he had anticipated and now separating seemed like the most idiotic idea ever. Who knew how big this thing was and the storm was so bad, what if Luna had slipped or if the ground had suddenly turned to ice or what if some creature was out here with them--   


Something appeared next to him and he shot a stunning spell at it. It disappeared nearly instantly as it reached the dead zone.    


“George Weasley, weren’t you a Gryffindor?”    


“Holy shit, I thought I lost you out here.”    


Luna put her hands on her hips the best she could and shook her head, “I turned around because it was much larger than I thought it would be and then I took a shortcut when I saw you stumbling through the snow.”   


“Let’s go back to camp and regroup.”    


Luna laughed, “I told you to wear more layers.”    


“I don’t know how muggles do it.” He shivered and followed her back to camp with only minor complaining. 

The snow came up to their knees in some spots, but after they got far enough away to cast a larger warming charm, the walk became bearable. 

“I don’t think we’ll have the opportunity to see any seals but if we have time before we go.”    
“What sort of seal?”

“Oh, just any sort.” Luna shrugged and then promptly fell face first into the snow. George pulled her up and all she said was a soft, “oh.” 

They continued trudging along until their tent emerged from the white. 

George had never been so relieved to see a tent in his life. He still had bad vibes from the 42nd Quidditch World cup. But good luck to anything finding them out here in the middle of nowhere. They crossed their camp’s perimeter and instantly got to work setting up their home away from home for the next day or so. They blocked the wind and raised the temperature. They made themselves invisible and set up a perimeter charm so they’d know if anything was coming near them. 

It was a bit like a reverse snow globe really. 

Actually that was an idea. 

“A reverse snowglobe?” Luna asked, “So you shake it and it snows on you?”

George nodded and went about making them something to eat. All the walking through the snow had worked up an appetite.

“I rather like that idea. I think my father would love it. You’ll have to let me know when it’s on sale.” 

“Well if it’s for your father I’ll have to make sure it’s more flurries than blizzard.” George said and Luna snorted. 

They sat down inside the tent and ate in mostly silence. Luna was musing over the logistics how how an area could be magic resistant and how the entire wizarding world was unaware of this phenomenon until now.  George tried to follow along best he could but the thought that one of these things could be near Diagon Alley was completely mad. Magic was the lifeblood of the street. Magic was the only thing keeping several buildings together. It was a good thing, then, that it had been evacuated. If magic were to suddenly be gone...it would be the second wizarding war all over again. 

After they ate and Luna worked a deep frown line into her forehead, George decided it was time to lighten things back up. 

“Do you want to go to the shore and see if we can find anything before it gets dark.” 

Luna put her quill down instantly and began pulling on another pair of pants. George wished all things were solved by seals. 

He bundled up a bit more than last time before they headed out. If there was anything running from the zone, it would go towards magic and as far as they knew (although Luna had her suspicions otherwise) they were the only magical beings in the immediate area. 

Luna directed them towards the shore since George didn’t trust himself to not apparate them right into the arctic sea. 

The ocean was breathtaking. It stretched forever with chunk of ice floating on the surface. If they were careful, they’d probably be able to walk out a bit more but George was perfectly fine with his feet on firmly attached land. Ice. Were they on ice? He never really thought this would be a concern of his before. 

The wind whipped their hair around and it sent shivers down George’s spine despite the fact the air around them was a scorching 60 degrees. 

“Look.” Luna whispered suddenly pointing out into the distance where a small dark blob flopped onto one of the floating sections of ice. 

It reminded George of the one time when he was small and he stirred his lemonade and a fly popped out from amongst the ice. He had cried and Charlie had given him his instead. 

Out from one of her pockets, Luna pulled out glasses for the both of them. George slipped them on and hummed, impressed with the magic. They immediately focused on the seal sunbathing in the fading light. When he looked farther out, they focused on the waves. “Where did you get these?”

“Enchanted them when I was stranded on that Ranch in America a summer ago.” 

“ _Nice_.” 

Another seal popped out of the surf and Luna clutched George’s arm in excitement, “Oh look at them--” she gasped and then laughed. She bit her lip and watched, completely enraptured as the things flopped around and slowly moved their tails in lazy motions. 

By the time they got back to camp it was dark, which said something alarming about how much he enjoyed just sitting and watching seals do nothing for hours on end. 

 

* * *

 

Luna wrapped her hands around her mug of tea. Three days in the cold, blinding light and although it was beautiful, she was ready to get back home. After a while, all they were doing was watching snow fall and watching sparks be snuffed out by the sudden, harsh void of magic. They really could have left tonight but instead they had set up a perimeter, dragged a couple chairs outside, cast a warming spell and had supper under the stars. 

Around them the snow whipped around viciously but the stars were crystal clear. 

“I have to be completely honest, I slept through more than half of the astronomy classes I attended at Hogwarts.” 

“That’s okay. I didn’t. That’s Mars right there.” 

“A little weak on the start. I could have pointed it out if I had known we were looking for it.” 

Luna sipped her tea and laughed, “Okay then, the Pegasus constellation is directly above us. There’s Matar, Markab, Alpheratz--”

“You’re making this up.” 

“I most definitely am not. I always loved astronomy because Ginny would whisper behind the professor’s back. Well. Some Professors’ backs. Others she had a strange crush on.” 

“Oh, we don’t need to go there. Not tonight at least.” 

Luna smiled, took another sip of her tea, and leaned back in her camp chair. This had been a surprisingly lovely trip. She couldn't’ remember the last time she had enjoyed herself and let herself relax like this. She ought to bring her father here. He’d like the quiet and the brightness of the stars. 

George got up and went into the tent. Luna felt like they were the only two people in the entire universe and for some reason, it wasn’t as terrifying as the thought probably should have been. Green and pink lights floated above her, making lazy waves in the sky. She shut her eyes and listened to the wind. 

The gradual roar and quiet of the wind soon was replaced by the sounds of a woman singing. Luna opened her eyes, she was having quite a lovely evening but if there were ghosts, she was sure they’d have fascinating stories to tell. She was rather fond of the Gray Lady at Hogwarts. 

George pushed the tent flap open and the music got louder until it drowned out the sound of the wind. 

No ghosts then, just the radio. 

“Sorry, I grew up in a noise house. The quiet unnerves me sometimes.” George almost looked sheepish as he put the radio on the ground. Luna took another long sip of her tea. 

“That’s perfectly understandable. Sometimes the best way to enjoy nature is on your own terms.” 

George raised an eyebrow and Luna finished up her tea quickly. The next song came on prefaced by a short introduction proclaiming how some old songs stood the test of time. Luna felt vaguely dated because certainly this song wasn’t old--she remembered dancing to it during the Yule Ball. A quick glance to George showed that he felt the same way. 

Luna put her empty cup down and stood. George, who had just sunk back into his chair, looked apprehensive. She reached out and pulled him to his feet before pulling him into a dance.

He laughed in disbelief and then shook his head, “Really?”

“When is the next time you’re going to be camped out under the northern lights?” Luna twilled around and did her best impression of Ginny’s signature club move, all shoulders and vogue hands. 

George laughed, hands on his hips, “Well, seeing as four days ago I wasn’t planning on leaving my parent’s place for the foreseeable future--who knows.” 

Luna grabbed his hand and spun him around in time with the music. He had to duck to make it under her arm but he did and that seemed to shake off his inhibitions. The two laughed as they danced to an interminable amount of songs. 

Eventually their laughter turned more into yawns and they decide their two person dance party should come to an end. Two encores after that, they finally packed up and crawled into the tent. 

Still laughing about their particularly horrendous dance move, they got ready for bed in a practiced routine which notably included George losing his toothbrush for the third night in a row. 

Luna climbed into her bed with a smile as George turned out the light, 

“You know, I’m going to miss the sound of the snow piling up on the tent.” 

“I might miss your panicked whispers about it,” she teased back and when George threw at pillow at her, she just kept it. 

 

* * *

 

Luna reached the door to the Burrow first and it was thrown open as Mrs. Weasley threw her arms around her in a tight hug. Luna’s stomach dropped, “Is everyone alright?” 

“Yes, I’m sorry. Everyone’s fine--when I realized the two of you went off to investigate one of these things on your own I nearly sent Harry and Ron after you.”

“Mum.” George laughed, “We went camping. It was a lovely--albeit freezing--holiday.” 

Mrs. Weasley swatted his arm and then pulled him in for a hug as well, “I worry. After everything we’ve been through I worry.” 

Luna frowned and went into the kitchen to make some tea, “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to worry anyone. George and I thought it was best to not waste any time.” 

George went into the other room as Mrs. Weasley pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down as Luna prepared tea. She must be exhausted if she was letting her help. This cup of tea might have been the first thing Luna made in the Burrow in all her years of visiting. 

She placed the tea in front of her, “Is everything alright here?”

“Yes. I didn’t mean to worry you. How was George on your trip?” 

“He’s actually more like you then I think he realizes.” Luna smiled and then glanced out the window, the late morning sun was shining through the clouds. “He was very helpful, except for the snowball fights. But he’s very predictable so after a couple snowballs to the face he was ready to help again.” 

Mrs. Weasley put her tea back onto the table and laughed as someone came bounding down the stairs. He was wearing an oversized sweater despite the perfectly lovely temperature outside and smiled when he saw Luna with his mother. 

“Oh, are you and George back from your romantic vacation,” he asked loudly, clearly teasing his younger brother. Charlie had gone to study dragons straight out of Hogwarts and he had fascinating ideas on most everything magizoological. She was glad he was here, it would be good to get his opinion on what these MagiDeadzones might do to other populations on creatures. Certainly it would be horrible if one appeared near a Dragon’s nest. Charlie could help put regulations and practices into place to make sure that if something like that was to happen, they would be prepared. 

“Charlie--the hell are you doing here?” 

“Visiting. You know how I hate missing out on the family drama. One twin is off seeing an actor, the other vanishes to Greenland.”

“How’s the break up going?” George asked, wincing in mock sympathy. 

Percy rolled his eyes, “I got a new job, I didn’t break up with anyone.” 

“You’ve been with that Dragon reservation for years.” 

“Oh--George has been complaining about needing extra help at the shop. He’s been trying to convince me to pick up shifts but I think you should help out instead if you’re currently unemployed.” 

“You’ve been trying to convince her to pick up shifts?” Percy asked, doing something funny with his eyebrows. 

“Boys.” Mrs. Weasley’s voice was sharp and Luna tucked her wand behind her ear. George pulled out the chair next to Luna and sat next to her as he poured tea for him and his brother. Their legs brushed each other and it actually felt a little odd even though they had lived practically on top of each other the past couple of days. Her cheeks heated up despite herself and she hid it by taking a sip of tea. 

“Hello, Luna, by the way. How’s the magazine going?”

“Oh, lovely. I’ve just started research on how magic influences and affects nonmagical creatures.” 

“We went seal watching. It was lovely.” 

“That does sound lovely,” Molly added. 

“Where’s your new job?”

“I’m to be the assistant head of a small dragon reserve in northern Wales.” 

Luna leaned forward, “Really? That’s fantastic. Congratulations.” 

“And it’s closer to home so I can pop ‘round for dinner whenever I fancy.” 

Molly beamed and put a hand over his. She really did look much more relaxed the more of her children she had under her roof. 

“So, tell me about Greenland you two. I went years ago and I’ve actually been meaning to go back.” 

“It was cold.” George began and then he jumped into entertaining them with an exaggerated tale of what they found out. 

 

* * *

 

The wind whipped around George as he made his way across the beach. The sun was just starting to set long and gold over the horizon meaning he was nearly late for supper. Dark clouds hung over the white-capped waves and the breeze stung his skin in a light imitation of the arctic frost. He pulled his cloak around him tighter and focused on the lights in the windows of Shell Cottage. 

Bill had always had good taste and Fleur would have had a good shot of winning the tournament if it hadn’t been rigged in an attempt to kill Harry. Of course the pair of them would end up in a small little cottage at the end of the world. Their nearest neighbors were actually across the water but there were a few muggles who lived on the other side of the island. Fleur was in a book club with them, she thought they were delightful and George personally thought each and every one of them was a little bit in love with the “lovely, but odd young woman” who lived on the rougher side of the island. 

Lightning flashed over the horizon and from up ahead a little girl screamed. Victoire wasn’t over her fear of thunderstorms then. 

George hurried the last few feet to the house before the wind or seas could get rougher and opened the door to another terrified scream. This time it was echoed by his other favorite niece as she was startled into tears. 

Victoire drew in a huge breath and threw the napkins she had been putting onto the table down. She raced across the room, nearly knocking her mother over as she picked up Dominique. Fleur was wearing one of Bill’s old Christmas jumpers and a pair of sweatpants. Her hair was in a messy bun atop her head. George could remember when she refused to leave her room without a full face of makeup, looking like she was there for a job interview at the breakfast table. 

His family was a bit Hufflepuff in nature, loyal to each other to a fault. No one was good enough for any of them. They certainly weren’t the Bones’ but sometimes being a Weasley was a bit suffocating. 

George scooped Victoire up and tossed her up into the air in the same motion. His eldest niece had her mother’s long blond hair and her father’s fearless eyes. “Mumma said you were coming for dinner!” she laughed and then proceeded to try to choke him with an over enthusiastic hug. 

“Back from holiday then?” Fred called, and then he swore as Fleur dropped the still crying Dominique onto him. He was regally lounging on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket that Fleur’s great-great grandmother had knit herself. George didn’t know what kind of magic it possessed but he wanted to one day find out. The best sleep he’d ever had was beneath that ragged old thing. 

He sat up a little to try to entertain their niece and then cursed again when she kicked him in the face. Fleur swatted the top of his head, “No cursing in front of your nieces, enculé.”

“If you keep that up, they’re going to swear in front of your parents.” George told her as Fred sat up to try to calm the screaming toddler and she rounded on him. 

“You only visit when I make bourride.” She crossed her arms and George strongly suspected she would have hexed him if he wasn’t currently holding her first born. 

“Come on, Uncle George, help me set the table. Papa will be home soon.” 

George glanced to Fred and Fleur, “Where'd Bill go?”

“Him and Charlie are up to something. I don’t trust it.” Fred didn’t look away as Dominique grabbed hold of two of his fingers and he helped her stand on the couch next to him. Her little face was scrunched up in concentration and she bounced up and down as if making sure her knees worked. Whatever Fred was doing was working because she had finally stopped screaming. 

Victoire handed George the rest of the cloth napkins and then she retreated into the kitchen. He set the napkins down and then spelled Victoire back onto the ground the moment she tried to climb up on the counter. With a flick of his wand, he brought the plates down to her instead and let her carry them to the table. He made quick work of getting the cups and silverware and setting them down as she placed a plate at each setting. She frowned pointedly at him. 

“That’s cheating.”

“That’s magic. When you’re old enough, you’ll be able to do this too.” 

“That won’t be until I’m seventeen. Practically forever away.” She put the last plate down onto the table with a thud and she stomped her way back into the kitchen to dig around in the fridge. She pulled out a pitcher of juice, held it out behind her and then let go. George only just caught it with a quickly-cast  _ leviosa _ . She pulled out a jug of water next and did the same exact thing. Victoire marched over to the table with the drinks floating behind her and then pointed to her cup. George poured some juice into it and she took it with a self-satisfied smirk. 

Both her parents were confident, powerful and fearless. She was either going to take after Bill and be head girl or she was going to be Hogwart’s absolute nightmare. He was going to have to make sure to send her off to Hogwarts with plenty of pranks. 

Not that he would every try to be a bad influence on his nieces. 

Of course he wouldn't. 

The door burst open and Victoire screamed again.

“Would you oppose me getting your daughter a red panda for Christmas?” George asked as Fred and Dominique both laughed (probably at something unrelated but it was good for his ego to think it was because of his sense or humor). Bill, who was drenched from the rain and smelt like a fireplace just sent him a glare that held absolutely no weight before he disappeared upstairs. 

“I don’t know what they are doing but I know I do not like it.” 

“Bill hasn’t been talking about getting a pet, has he?” Fred asked and Fleur threw an oven mitt at him. It bounded off both his and Dominique’s heads and the little girl laughed, bright and carefree. 

George chanced a glance at  Victoire. She had a light in her eyes that he knew was going to end in heartbreak.

George helped Fleur take supper from the over as Fred wrangled the kids into their seats. Some days he felt like Victoire and Dominique should be Ron and Ginny but other times he wouldn’t trade his nieces for the world. When Fleur had first told them she was pregnant (before anyone, including Bill) George didn’t know how to process the information. Then Fred marched the pair of them to the shop and bought some toys. By the time they left George had decided Uncle was going to be his favorite title. 

And it was. 

Which was a good thing because he had a lot of siblings, three of them currently in serious relationships. 

It was suspicious that Bill only joined them when they were all seated and about to eat without him. “So this is a nice surprise.” He beamed at both George and Fred and really, he was in London all the time for work, he shouldn’t be trying to guilt them right now. He had gone to Egypt for years when they were still in school. They didn’t deserve the  _ you never come to visit anymore _ routine. They already got it enough from their parents (who they saw at  _ least _ every other week). “Mum and Dad on your case, Georgie?”

Victoire cleared her throat. 

“Mum and Dad are constantly on everyone’s cases you know that.” 

“Excuse me.” Victoire said, loud and pointedly. 

“Yes, love, I’m sorry, what is it?” Bill asked, leaning forward. He was absolutely smitten with both of his daughters. He grew up complaining about how Ginny had their Dad wrapped around her finger but that was nothing compared to the shit Bill let Victoire get away with. 

“I have a couple questions to ask George.”    
“Uncle George.” George said sharply. He loved her attitude except for when it was directed at him. He worked hard for the title and so she better use it. He didn’t make ice cream the muggle way for her mother for her to not call him Uncle. 

“Uncle George.” She smiled sweetly and George saw a bit of his life flash before his eyes. Fleur and Fred laughed to themselves. “You’re one of my five favorite Uncles and I’m very concerned for you.” 

“Are you?”

She nodded seriously and took a bite of her supper. She chewed it thoughtfully and then placed her fork on the table, folding her hands in her lap in imitation of her mother. “You went on vacation with Aunt Luna but I think you forgot to do something.” 

George shared an apprehensive/gleeful glance with Fred. 

“And that is?”

“You forgot to tell her it was a date!”

“Oh sweets, it wasn’t a date.” 

“Oh no.” She whispered and grabbed her fork again. “You didn’t know it was a date, either.” 

“Vic, sweets,” George began, ready to nip this right in the bud, “Luna and I are friends. I went to help her solve a mystery.” 

She shook her head and muttered something to herself as she began to eat dinner. 

“Vic?” Fleur asked, reaching out towards her. 

She shook her head, “It’s okay, Mumma. He’s not ready.” 

George laughed despite his best efforts not to. He didn’t want to upset her but she sounded so grown up over something so silly. “After supper would you like to read my tea leaves as well?”

“I don’t think you’re ready for what they’re going to say.” She sniffed and everyone did start laughing at that. She smiled, proud of herself and let Fred steer the conversation back into less mad topics. 

Sometimes, he really did believe there was no limits to his nieces' imaginations. 

 

* * *

 

Luna opened the door to see George near lounging on her door frame. “Morning,” he smiled. The moon was bright on the street below. Good, it would light their way. The twins had been among the first (if not  _ the _ first) to move back into their flats. It was a fine balance between not disturbing the creatures and ruining the whole of Diagon Alley’s economy while putting people out of their homes. 

Luna pulled on a sweater and grabbed her wand before slipping out as quietly as she could. It was roughly half past midnight. Luna wasn’t sure how the pair of them managed to draw the short straw and got stuck with patrolling the streets from now until daybreak but...it was a bit fun actually. She followed George down the block in silence until he spoke. 

“The fact that we’re keeping an eye out for Wolpertingers and not people actively trying to torture and or kill us almost makes this fun.”

Luna smiled, “I was actually thinking something similar.”

“This is why they put us on this shift. Well--actually they put Fred but he was out with that bloke from West End and I happened to oversleep this morning so here we are.” 

“I think it’s quite nice.” 

“It  _ is  _ nice. Especially because--and don’t tell everyone because it’d ruin my carefully crafted image--” Luna snortd and George laughed until he looked stricken about it. 

“I didn’t think I’d be able to walk anywhere at night anymore.” A cloud started to shut out the moonlight and Luna bit her lip, “So many people just vanished in the dark.” 

“So many people just vanished in the light as well. Tonks, Colin Creevy with that camera--” he started to say something but choked on the words in his throat and fell silent. Luna decided to say it for him. 

“Fred--for a few horrible moments.” 

George nodded. He never really talked about it, the seconds his brother had been dead, the minutes he thought his best friend had been lost to him forever. Fred joked about it, of course he did, everyone did but Molly and George. Percy didn’t really joke as much as he laughed, empty and lost. He had been standing next to him. They both had been laughing. 

George turned to look at Luna and then sat down on an upturned cauldron. Luna perched on a pile of crates next to him. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. Seeing Perce and Mum and him just lying there. You see how he sleeps he never just  _ lies there _ . It’s completely mad--he’s fine. Teddy Lupin’s an orphan, Dean Thomas’ parents are dead, Susan Bones lost close to her entire family.” 

“Grief isn’t a competition. There’s no scale saying what you’re allowed to feel, how you’re supposed to react to different situations. Grief is solely personal. Everyone grieves differently and it’s different each day. You went through the shock of losing Fred. You’re allowed to not be okay with that.” 

“We’re too young to have these complicated opinions on grief.” 

“We were younger then.” 

“Younger and worse off. Gin used to have nightmares of them snatching you right in front of her. Mum didn’t let Bill out of her sight for weeks after he was attacked.” 

“The first time I bumped into Draco Malfoy after it was all over, I ran directly to Dean’s. I was shaking so badly I thought he’d have to use a calming drought just to get some sense out of me.”

George leaned back, “When did we become this kind of friends?”

“Probably when we signed up for Dumbledore’s army.” 

George laughed, face pale but bright in the moonlight. “We have company. Look at her--”

A small shadow emerged from the dark, eyes glowing purple. George reached out and she headbutted his hand. She had a long furry body with tall scaly legs and giant ears that probably once belonged to a rabbit. 

“What are they?” 

“Wolpertingers.”

“They’re German.”

Luna blinked owlishly and turned to him. For a moment she wanted to ask him how he knew that but then shook her hair from her shoulders, that would be rude. Just because most of the Wizarding world, well, the british wizarding world at least, didn’t pay attention during care of magical creatures, didn’t mean no one paid attention. 

She was gorgeous. A hodgepodge of traits adapted from numerous species. It was still unknown if these were naturally adapted traits or if they were descended from some wizard’s experiment. 

“Luna?” 

She blinked back into the moment, “Well, the largest known population currently resides in southwest Germany, yes. But there are smaller population all over the world. Each has its own specific traits. No one’s really done in depth studies on it. We don’t know if these species are even related.” 

“Well, maybe this will give someone the chance to study them now.” George said. It started nibbling on his coat and he swatted at it gently. “Do you know what this is?” George hissed at the tiny thing and about three others crept carefully from the shadows. 

“Whatever posh material your coat is made out of, it appears they like it.”

“No.” 

“Yes. You’ll have to buy another.” 

“I will not give my coat over to the same beasts that kicked me from my own bed.” 

Luna laughed and tucked her feet up under her as she watched George walk in circles as he was followed by the Wolpertinger.

She didn’t think they spend very much time sitting there with the Wolpertinger but eventually the moon started to dip lower and lower in the horizon and the sky started to take on a lighter tint. 

“Time to get home.” Luna yawned and they started to walk back up the street. Luna felt like she could fall asleep right where she was standing but she forced one foot after another and trailed after George. Really, it was unfair he still had a bit of a bounce in his step. He must have slipped some pepperup potion when she wasn’t looking. 

“Morning, you two.” Fred said, intercepting them on their way back to the flat. 

It was good to see him so happy, “Morning, Fred. Would you like to come back to the flat for some breakfast.” 

Fred glanced over his shoulder, waved his wand with a muttered spell and led the way. “Was it an extraordinarily eventful night?”

“Not really, it was very quiet actually. Everyone was on their best behavior.”    
“Well that’s certainly not fun.” 

“It was perfectly lovely last night.”

Fred led the way into the flat and Luna frowned when she realized Ginny wasn’t home. She was still sidelined from the team. It was quite possible she was at Harry’s though. It would be good for the both of them to have some time alone. It would take their minds off of things. 

Sometimes Luna thought Harry should never had become an auror. He of all people deserved to not have to watch his back every moment of every day. Fred and George both noticed their little sister’s absence and didn’t say anything about it. 

Luna slipped out of her shoes, “Ginny and I discussed it and you two are quite welcome to stay with us for a couple days until you can go back home.” 

“What chance is there of us seeing Harry’s bare arse.” 

“Fifteen.” Luna smiled sweetly because it was the truth. 

George hit Fred in the arm, “You had to ask!”

“I have to be prepared.” 

George went into the kitchen and started rummaging around for something for breakfast. Luna pulled some eggs out for a fry up. Eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes always cheered both Ginny and Ron up so she figured it was safe to assume that it was a Weasley thing. 

“Sooo…” Fred said, scratches along his arm that he seemingly didn’t notice. George had said he had gotten into a skirmish with a couple of the younger ones a few days back. The pair of them were obeying the evacuation in appearance only and only then it was because they knew they had to stay in the ministry’s good graces. She didn’t know what they were planning but it was sure to be eventful. 

“On the whole, this isn’t quite as terrible as it could have been.” Luna said as she opened her bedroom door and about twelve pygmy puffs rolled out. She frowned, she must have left the fan on too high again. 

Fred trailed after her, and looked at the mess of them, “Oh?” 

“The Magi-Dead Zones could be disastrous to both the magizoological and wizarding populations. But as they are, they seem to be only temporary.” 

“Temporary, yay.” 

“Imagine if they affected us here. Imagine Gringotts.”

Fred chanced a glance towards the kitchen but George must have been suitably distracted because he said, “I’m going to have to tell my esteemed double he fancies a potential bank robber.”

Luna send him a fond sort of glare and gathered up a couple more Pygmy puffs. All the new things were making them restless. 

“We ought to start charging you for them.” George called from the kitchen. 

“Ginny would say we ought to start charging you two for rent for them.” 

George laughed, “That’s certainly bold from a blatant thief. Paying rent on stolen ‘puffs?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Luna smiled and then a thought struck her, “What if they’re like waves?”

“You mean, what if they just recede on their own?” Fred asked and Luna narrowed her eyes, glancing out the window to her left to watch the sunlight break through the clouds. 

 

* * *

 

Luna squared her shoulders and made her way through the vines. If she hadn’t been paying attention, she might not have even noticed the magic’s sudden silence around her. That in itself was vaguely alarming but she’d be as quick as she could possibly be.  These areas in and of themselves weren’t outright harmful but they certainly weren’t a place for a romantic picnic.  If she was right then she would find signs of the overall area covered by the zone shrinking. 

It was quite strange feeling like a muggle in the middle of the rainforest. The mosquitoes swarmed around her and the only thing protecting (most) of her skin from their bites was a muggle potion sprayed all over her. They were quite ingenious, muggles.  They had a lot to learn from each other, wizards and muggles. About magic and the lack of it, about creatures and the world around them. Magical and nonmagical plants lived side by side and often worked in tandem. 

Maybe this was a sign, maybe too much magic in one area was bad for the ecosystem and this was nature’s way of balancing it. 

It was more as humid as Myrtle’s bathroom on the hottest day of the school year and Luna wiped the sweat from her forehead. Gingerly, she pulled herself up over exposed roots and ducked under low-hanging vines. The signs marking the perimeter of the zone were transfigured into bright red flowers that glistened artificially in the sunlight. 

The fact that she hadn’t seen one yet was either because something had taken it or the area had expanded more than they anticipated. If it expanded all this way then she was completely wrong about this. 

But there was only one way to find out. 

If she continued walking in a straight line, eventually she’d reach the other side. It was her only option. If she walked around the perimeter she might never find any of the flowers. 

Something screamed close by, a howler monkey maybe? Luna paused an tried to listen. She wasn’t as good with nonmagical creatures as she was magical ones but she was getting better bit by bit each day. When it came down to it, they were all the same, they all deserved to be protected in the same way. Why should she focus on endangered magical creatures when Rhinos were being hunted to extinction. Wizards should and were doing everything in their power to protect all creatures, no matter their magical abilities. 

If only more wizards thought like that. 

If only they thought like that about each other.

Luna pulled out the old muggle compass she had stolen from the Weasley’s shed. It was her only source of direction in the middle of the jungle. If she kept heading directly north, she’d make it out of the zone without any problems. Hermione would have her head if she knew she was in here but it had to be done. Someone had to figure out what was going on so they could prepare. They didn’t have time to wait for the Ministry to finish their investigation. Who knew how long that would take and both humans and creatures were being affected by this. Diagon Alley’s economy was plummeting (except for the handful of businesses that could do mail-orders and Yasmin was catering outside the area. 

The trees to the left of her, several yards away shook violently for a moment and then fell still again. Luna wanted to investigate but she was here for a reason and she couldn’t let herself get distracted. Holding up the compass again, she realigned herself and continued North. 

 

* * *

 

George had a terrible feeling about this. 

By the time he dragged his bruised arse (literally) out of bed, Luna was long gone. He slammed his fist on Ginny’s too but only his twin’s muffled, completely unintelligible, reply rang out. Ginny must have already gone out and Fred jumped at the chance to get a couple extra minutes of sleep. 

“Did Lu leave with Gin this morning?” 

There was a thud and then the door opened. George made a mental note to tease him relentlessly later for the mark at the base of his neck. But right now they had more pressing matters to attend to. 

Like if Luna really fucked off on her own to investigate one of the most dangerous natural phenomenon known to the wizarding world.

“That face is telling me I should be getting dressed.” 

“Did she even go to bed last night?”

“So she had a head start, so what our legs are longer than her’s.” 

George groaned, frustrated. What was with everyone and running off on their own? Hadn’t they learned by this point that if they just chilled for a second and talked it out, everything would go smoothly and everyone would be on the same bloody page?

“Oi there, mate.” Fred laughed, “there’s papers on her bed, she’s left us with a bread trail.” 

Great. George rushed around the apartment and then bodily dragged his twin from the house and immediately apparated to the apparition check point. They had a long trip ahead of them. Luna had helpfully left notes on one of the maps detailing which Ministry-Observed zone she was heading towards. It was in the middle of the mountains of Borneo, not the easiest place to get around in without magic, so their presence wouldn't be detected. 

By the time they reached the Montane Rainforest, George was feeling decidedly queasy.  

The jungle was loud. The jungle was the Christmas everyone got new toy brooms loud. Birds squawked, monkeys screamed, bugs made noises George wasn’t aware they could make--

“Quick question, Georgie,” Fred had his wand out and was casting another cooling charm on the pair of them. “How are we to find her in this jungle?”

George shrugged, “Find trouble and follow it?”

A loud, hooting screech echoed through the green and the jungle quieted for two terrifying heartbeats. As the noise roared back, George turned to his twin, “I am so sorry I spoke that aloud.” Fred laughed loudly, “Come on, I think it came form this way.” 

The pair trampled through the underbrush until Fred stopped short. 

George peered through the trees. 

“This is the mark they were talking about, correct? The on that signals the beginning of the zone?” Fred pointed to a large, sparkling flower and then he frowned. He looked around himself, “Have we passed through…”

Fred waved his wand and a rain of sparkles fell to the jungle floor. 

“Nope, haven’t gotten there yet.” 

Bloody hell, Luna was right. They had been right. They were receding. 

“So. If we’re here. Where is she?” Fred frowned. He wasn’t keen on walking through the jungle and to tell the truth, neither did George. With magic it was fun. If they had to walk into the zone with no personal climate control or bug repellent…Well that wouldn’t be very fun at all, would it?

Another loud screeching howl echoed through the jungle followed by a loud smash. 

Fred groaned, “I’m so sorry. That was my fault this time.” 

Another, terrifyingly smaller scream sounded and they started at each other in absolute horror. That had been Luna. 

Together, they sprinted through the jungle towards the sound of the scream. Up ahead there were tree shaking violently. George took a sharp left, trusting Fred to keep up with him. 

Luna was hardly ever frightened. She was rational and practical and inquisitive. She saw every moment as a learning experience.  

She was in danger and like hell he was going to let anything happen to her. Whatever creature was up ahead was howling viciously now and other voices were joining it. Possibly it was that he wasn’t too fond of monkeys. 

Monkeys were mean to be here and he was meant to be very far away in London both minding their own business. 

“Protego!” he shouted the moment Luna appeared through the woods behind him. She was creeping backwards, eyes locked on something in the waving tree above her. 

Another deafening scream and George realized that his wand had done absolutely nothing. 

Fuck. 

He hadn’t even realized that they had crossed over the border. How deep into the magic-free zone had he run? Glancing over his shoulder, he saw only jungle. 

Great. No magic and no twin. 

He raced ahead, saw a giant harry orange orangutan peering down at them and grabbed Luna’s wrist. The monkey jerked violently, ready to jump towards them and George couldn’t think. He dragged Luna behind him as he raced away. The ground shook as the monkey landed on the ground and he nearly slipped down off some exposed roots. Luna pulled him to his feet. 

“Hurry, she’s afraid,” Luna whispered and tugged him forward. 

Together they ran, dodging around giant trees, keeping each other on their feet. Birds squawked around them, something big darted away from them, disappearing into the underbrush. 

“George.” 

If they could just make it out of the area and back into magic, he could cast a shielding charm or a shrinking charm or something that would fix this whole mess in one twist of the wrist. 

“George Weasley, we’re alright!” Luna’s nails dug into his arm and she held onto his hand tightly. She planted her feet into the ground, jolting him to a stop. 

They weren’t being chased anymore. 

“Oh, she was beautiful, wasn’t she?” Luna gasped, a hand on her chest and then she laughed. 

“Beautiful?” George glanced around as if he was expecting some other jungle creature to materialize from the haze and confirm that, yes, this woman was completely mad. 

“The power in her arms as she swung through the trees--and completely without magic!” She turned to smile at him, eyes shining, and she reached out and grabbed his hands, “I’m so glad you got to see.” 

It might have been because of the elation in her eyes, the way she was so thrilled to see magical creatures thriving in this magical deadzone. It might have been because they had almost been ripped apart by an overgrown money. 

But George was realizing some things that he might have been actively trying to ignore. 

He liked Lovegood, he liked her a lot. They had been friends for ages now, they went out to eat together, she came over to brainstorm her latest article. But she was Gin’s flatmate and friends is where it ended, full stop. 

Except, when the rest of the street had been screams and arguing, she barreled in with a level head. When the shop caught on fire, she didn’t hesitate before running in to gather up the pygmy puffs. He followed her to Greenland and then the Amazon without a second thought. Without any thought actually. 

She was Gin’s flatmate. 

He was confusing admiration for attraction. 

Luna was frowning at him now and he shrugged and took a step back, “sorry--that rattled me a little more than I thought.” She tilted her head and pursed her lips like she clearly didn’t believe him. The light was still in her eyes and she smiled before she stood on her toes, grabbed onto the front of his shirt to tug him down and then she kissed him. 

For a moment he wanted to pull away. Then he decided that was the absolute last thing in the world he wanted to do and he pulled her closer to him, kissing her back until he started smiling and broke apart to laugh. 

“Was that okay?” 

“Okay? Lu--that was great. I--”

“Oi! If you two would stop snogging, maybe get a move on before you hurt yourselves for being in here too long. I don’t want to be the one to explain to Hermione and then her overlords why you’re mysteriously affected by--”

“We spend too much time in the White Raven Tavern. It has surprisingly good cider for a muggle pub.” Luna responded without missing a moment. She laced her fingers through his and tugged him towards Fred who was looking at them amused and unsurprised. For a moment, George was left speechless. How long had he fancied her? Why didn’t he...notice?

“I think you’ve broken him, honestly.” 

“Piss off.” 

Luna smiled, “The zone is receding on it’s own. We don’t have to do anything. London’s area should be back to normal soon enough.” 

“It will be nice to get everything out of Mum and Dad’s place. I’m thinking about taking permanent residence at Bill’s though. I’m used to the waves.”    
“And the children?”

“Victorie recently said I was her favorite Uncle.” 

The walked back over the line and George felt magic rushing back through his veins, “I’m sure she’ll come to her senses soon enough.”

Luna drew in a deep breath and turned to look at the two of them, "Fred did you see the orangutan?" 

"No but I heard it." 

"She was beautiful. I would say she was nearly ten feet, wouldn't you?"

George wanted to say no, but the more he thought about it and the way the jump to the forest floor hadn't been that far at all, he found himself nodding. 

Luna nodded back, "The Gigantopithecus blacki was a species of orangutan that lived here in Indonesia one hundred thousand years ago. Most scientists believe they were between six and ten feet so this would fit their mold." 

"Except for the extinct for a hundred thousand years." 

"The higher elevations of this rainforest are complete inaccessible. Ninety percent of the orangutan's original habitat remain intact. Who's to say there aren't large orangutan living here still." Luna spun around, beaming at the rainforest. 

Fred glanced to George and then looked to Luna, "yeah, I have just one quick question--"

"Yes?" Luna asked, slipping her hands into George's. His pule sped up and he pretended not to notice. 

"How is it that you know the name of a long--one hundred thousand years long--extinct species of orangutan off the top of your head." 

Luna shrugged, "read it somewhere, of course." 

It was then that George knew without a doubt he was completely fucked. 

* * *

 

 

The sky was dark outside the window but Luna had a few lights floating above her book, lighting the entire room in a soft purple glow. Personally, George thought it was purple because she was still thinking about the Wolpertinger and their glowing eyes. He had a bowl of water sitting on the bench at the end of the bed and he lazily cast spells above it to see how the water reacted. They both laid on their stomachs on top of the covers, legs intertwined. Luna ran her foot up and down his calf absentmindedly. 

“The lights need more pink, I think.” Luna said quietly, flipping and page and immediately underlining something. 

George adjusted the spell and spun the water counterclockwise. For some reason it reacted better when it was spun counterclockwise. The lights shone brighter over the surface of the water and, really, for a midnight whim, this was going better than he could hope for. 

Ideally, he’d like to expand the WonderWitch line to include bath products. Shampoos that put starlight into your hair and body lotions that sparkled. Right now he was working on a bath potion that would recreate the northern lights above you as you soaked in the warm water in the comfort and warmth of your own home. 

The wind whistled outside the window. George had been back in the flat for a week and a half at this point. Half of those had been spent with Luna. She said it was to give Ginny and Harry some space but she had absolutely no qualms about intruding on him or Fred. 

Although, to be fair Luna’s unexpected visits were the highlight of his day. Her odd hours at the paper and his various shifts at the shop guaranteed nothing was ever routine. There was no fun in routine and the pair of them both excelled in the spontaneous. They had both modeled their careers on the very foundation of spontaneity.

Speaking of spontaneity, Hermione was getting pretty good at it as well. She popped in at random intervals to ask them what they saw in the rainforest and then went back to her supervisors to gently steer them in the right direction. She wasn't going to get the credit she deserved but the entire street knew who they had to thank for getting them back into their homes and businesses so quickly. Luna had just gotten her in contact with a Wolpertinger breeder somewhere in eastern Europe and together they were coaxing some of the stragglers back to their homes and other less populated areas.  

Luna dropped her book and let the lights float up to the ceiling. George wasn’t sure what spell it was, they appeared almost sentient. It wasn’t a modified Lumos but maybe-- 

Luna rolled onto her side and looked up at him. 

“No this doesn’t mean I want to go back to Greenland.” George said and he made the water in the bowl come to a complete stop. The lights wavered and flickered but didn’t immediately die out. He was of course lying, he couldn’t wait to get back out and see the snow banks with her again. He had the lights and the old Celestina Warbeck song stuck in his head for days with no signs of lightening up. 

She smiled like she knew what he was thinking (embarrassingly, she probably did). Luna propped herself up on her elbow and then kissed him. She smiled against his lips and then pulled his wand from his hand and placed it innocently on the trunk at the end of the bed. She ran a hand through his hair and then pushed herself up so that she was kneeling on the bed next to him. She pushed him onto his back and and kissed him again as she straddled his waist. 

He let out the smallest moan but that was enough to bring twinly wrath down upon them. 

“Oi! No monkey business while I’m home!”

Luna flinched against him and then laughed, full bodied, one hand across her stomach, the other covering her mouth. 

“We! Almost! Died!” George shouted. Fred took the utmost pleasure out of teasing the pair of them over their near-death run in with possibly the largest orangutan on the planet. Luna was pretty certain it was a new subspecies and was magical but she hadn’t the chance to gather a team and go investigate the remote area yet. Personally, George wanted to believe it was a non-magical monkey that listened to it’s mother and ate it’s veggies. 

“I don’t care. Not while I’m in the flat!”

“We’ll cast a--”

“No! If it’s suddenly silent I’ll know. As a matter of fact, I’ll know no matter what now so your night is ruined!”   


“You could go out.”    


“Luna Lovegood!” Fred shouted, scandalized. 

George was fairly certain he was either doing a crossword or researching the orangutan prank he wanted to add to the shop. He didn’t know what sort of prank it was going to be but he knew Fred was working on something to commemorate the ‘worst timed kiss in the history of terribly timed kisses.’ 

Nobody had died and George and Luna had gotten a relationship out of it. 

“Do you want to know something quite funny?” Luna asked suddenly. 

“I swear to Filtch’s sweaty trainers--” Fred warned and it was George’s turn to laugh. 

“When Hermione had lunch with us the day we returned and told her about the recession, she absolutely didn’t notice that George and I held hands the entire time.” 

“Well, she and Ron are perfect for each other. They’re both dense as bricks in their own way.” 

“Oh be nice, Fred.” Luna called and she finally crawled off of George. He frowned and reached out to pull her back towards him. She kissed him soundly on the lips, earning another warning from his twin and then she headed into the kitchen. 

“Are you decent?” Fred called because there had already been two separate occasions when she had not been. 

“I’m making hot cocoa. We’re all up and it’s a quarter past midnight.” 

George could hear his twin muttering about how that had been a non-answer but he apparently decided to chance time number three in favor for some cocoa. Paper slapped down on the table in the kitchen meaning Fred had been doing a crossword at half past midnight. The obvious answer was that he just couldn’t sleep. But the scandalous, more entertaining answer was that he was waiting up for someone. If he were being honest, both were equally as likely. 

George had yet to meet the bloke Fred was maybe-seeing. The maybe was attached to seeing only because George felt like being polite. Usually Fred had no qualms about telling everyone within earshot ever sordid detail about his dating life but he was still being mum about this. 

Before George could find it in himself to get up, Fred and Luna came into his room with the cocoa. “Ah, my two favorite people.” Sitting up, he managed to drink half the cocoa in one go while burning his entire mouth and throat. 

“Wow.” Fred deadpanned. 

“It’s late. I’m tired. Is there cinnamon in here?” 

Luna nodded, "Just like Mum used to make.” 

“Our Mum as well. I’ll have to ask her if they taught each other the trick.” 

Luna nodded again and then tilted her head, “Do you remember my mum at all?” 

For some reason George thought about being curled up in the middle of the chaos at Christmas. 

“I’m sure we terrorized her garden multiple times. Mum always complained about how we learned how to walk quickly just so we could escape the yard.” Fred frowned, contemplating if any of their earliest memories included a smiling blond woman. 

Luna shook her head, “I was just curious. England is a small country, is it not?” 

“I should get some firewhiskey for this cocoa. You’re too pensive tonight.” 

Her eyes lit up a Fred’s words, “Oh I almost forgot! George, show us the northern lights bath potion again.” 

“The what?” 

She smiled, “you heard me, it’s going to be a bestseller. Imagine having it in the prefect’s bath at Hogwarts.” 

Neither she, George or Fred had been prefects but they apparently at one point been inside. Fred glanced at her as George prepared the potion again. It was now sitting in a moonbeam and that actually helped to amplify the light. “I didn’t realize you were a rule breaker.” 

“Shh--look at this. “

 

* * *

 

The sun shone on her face and she rolled over onto her back and stretched. At some point she must have kicked the blankets off because--oh wait. George had been complaining about her stealing them and then he mention something about breakfast?

Luna opened her eyes. The blanket was gathered at the bottom of the bed and it was quite possible she had slept through their first fight. 

She pulled on one of the shirts he had discarded on the floor (the floor meant worn once, the laundry hamper meant he had spilled something on it), and crept into the living room. Sometimes people were like magical beasts. If you got between Ginny and a cup of coffee in the morning, she’d flatten you. Secretly, she thought Harry enjoyed the flat dismissal in the morning. He had grown up with so many adults treating him like a savoir when he had just been a boy who lost his parents. 

Sitting at the table was George and some man Luna didn’t know. He smiled when he saw her and glanced to Fred who was frying up breakfast with his back to them. 

“I’m Mourib, you must be the famous Luna I’ve been hearing so much about.” 

There was something in Fred’s face when he turned around that was almost akin to panic and, oh, of course this was the West End actor. “Good morning, it’s nice to finally meet you. I was starting to think you didn’t exist.” 

George and Mourib laughed and Fred just glared at her. She smiled and he tossed a piece of toast at her. She caught it and put some jam on it before taking a bite. 

“No fair.” Mourib complained, sinking lower in his chair, one arm sprawled out in front of him. 

“Actors.” Fred sighed and he had never sounded more endeared.

“What’s on the agenda today?” George asked, ignoring the both of them but unable to hide his smile. It was nice to see Fred happy. 

“I’ve got to edit next month’s edition of the Quibbler.” 

Leaning forward, Mourib folded his hands in the imitation of professionalism. “How much would it be to bribe you for a good review of our show.” 

“We don’t do reviews but two tickets and I’m sure I can find something to write about. We can also negotiate advertising prices.” 

He leaned back, “You were right, I do like her.” 

“Actually, maybe I’ll talk to Harry. He might be interested in doing theater reviews.” 

“I really, really like her,” Mourib laughed.

“Oh she’s completely serious.” Fred said, “I bet you a galleon you’ll have a Potter quote on the marque before the month’s out.”

He smiled, completely indulgent, “And you were hesitant about me meeting your family.” 

“Because--” Fred gestured to the room. “Five seconds and you’re planning on having poor Harry be the theater’s new marketing temp.” 

Mourib smiled and then got up to help him with breakfast, “Come on, we’re wasting away over here.” He wrapped his arms around Fred’s waist and then kissed his cheek before sending a cup of coffee over Luna’s way. 

“Oh I like you.” Luna smiled as she drank half the cup in one go. Fred and George shared a glance that started as a worried exchange and ended in poorly concealed grins. “So Fred, how’s the watercress?” 

“I want to believe that isn’t coming from a mean-spirited place so I’ll tell you they’re doing wonderfully. As a matter of fact, I might be expanding to another window box by the end of the week.”

“Oh that’s lovely, should I be expecting an egg and watercress salad sandwich soon?” Both George and Mourib made faces but Fred threw his arms out. 

“Finally someone with some good fucking taste.” 

 

* * *

 

“Ah, Gin, Luna nice of you two to join us.” Bill called as the two of them made their way across the sand to where they had a bonfire going. There was a scattering of Weasleys as well as a few of Bill and Fleur’s friends. 

“Do you remember the time she pretended to be Snape and kept taking five points away from that witch?”

“I can’t believe two of us pretended to be the greasy old slime bucket.” Charlie whispered and someone threw a glove at him. 

“Who pretended to be Snape?”

Charlie leaned forward, his mug of mulled wine balanced precariously on his knee, “Tonks. Class was cancelled but the message never got to us because all he did was leave a note on the door. So she took it down and proceeded to teach the class.” 

“Holy shit, did she really?” Ginny asked, sitting on the log next to him. She stole his wine and after a moment of vicious internal struggle, Charlie let her have it. 

“Yeah and Ben totally saw her and kept mum.”

A tiny body collided with Luna’s legs and she bent down to pick up Dominique. “Hello, have you seen any more mermaids recently?” 

Dominique giggled and shook her head. 

“They’re probably just shy. It’s best to let them be.” She put Dominique down on another log and and then Luna squeezed in between her and George. George wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in closer. She leaned against him with a smile. “Did you know that your Uncle and I might have seen some selkie in Greenland?”

“Selkies in Greenland?” Bill asked, leaning forward. Victorie was seated on his lap as she scarfed down a s’more. And Fleur was looking between her and George with thinning veiled curiorsity. 

“Oh that’s right--” Luna said suddenly, realizing that with everything happening so quickly, she had right forgotten to mention to everyone the development in hers and George’s relationship. 

“Selkies weren’t the only thing they found in Greenland.” 

“Fred, I really wouldn’t be the one talking right now.” Ginny laughed, drinking more of Charlie’s wine. 

Charlie and Bill both turned their attention onto Fred who squirmed. It must be quite serious if he was being so odd about it. 

“Luna, dear, you were saying.” Molly pryed and brought her attention back to the announcement. 

“Oh yes, George and I have decided that we’re--”

“Seeing each other.” George finished quickly and she turned to him with a tilted head. 

“What did you think I was going to say that made you finally speak up?”

“With you, Lu, I never really know.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead and she smiled. 

“And how long has this been going on? Why are we only just hearing about it?”

“It’s a fairly new development.” 

“I caught them snogging in the middle of the rainforest. In the middle of one of those deadzones. Apparently the possibility of turning squib is a real turn on for them.” Fred teased and George muttered something under his breath. 

“Oi! Say that to my face.” Fred laughed, trying to be angry and failing. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell everyone your flatmate and brother were sweet on each other.”    


Ginny sniffed and lifted her chin, “I’m not a relationship snitch unlike some people in this family.” 

“No one snitched on you and Harry, even a blind man could see it.” Bill teased her, leaning forward to try to poke her with his marshmallow stick. 

“It’s true, love,” Mrs. Weasley added, “I knew the moment your crush came back as something more.” 

“Mum.” Ginny hissed sounding like a schoolgirl again and not an internationally famous Quidditch player. 

Mrs. Weasley smiled and then turned to Luna and George, “I’m very happy for the both of you.” 

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, that’s very kind.” 

“Molly, dear, please. How’s your father doing?” 

Luna beamed, “He’s quite well, actually. I believe he was planning on coming down to London soon. He hasn’t been in the office in a while and I know they all miss him.” 

Victoire excused herself and carefully made her way around the fire to George. She had a s'more in her hand and a self-satisfied smile on her face. 

George knew this was coming. He knew it was coming the moment he remembered the night in Shell Cottage. 

She squeezed herself up on George’s lap so that she was half sitting on Luna as well. She leaned back and looked up at them. “I told Uncle George to listen to me but he wasn’t ready to know.” 

“You told him to listen to you about what?” Luna asked as she brushed some of her hair out of her face and away from the sticky marshmallow and chocolate.” 

“When he forgot to tell you the holiday was a date.” 

Luna smiled and glanced up to George. “I supposed it was a date in the end.” 

“See! Mumma I was right--”

“I’m sorry for doubting you, mon petit chou.” Fleur called from across the way. She was talking with Charlie and that was more ominous than anything. George didn’t didn’t know what he and Bill were up to and if they brought Fleur into things? Terrifying. 

“Tell me about your date!” She demanded, smiling so wide, George was ready to tell her everything. 

“Well, first we walked around in the snow, which was very dangerous and we shouldn’t have done it. But then we watched the seals.” 

“Yes. Dominique’s mermaids.” 

“And then what! Did you snog!”

“No.” Luna laughed, “We did put on some music and we danced under the northern lights. Which was quite romantic.” She paused and tilted her head like the notion had just occurred to her. 

Fred turned and gave George a deadpan stare. George threw his hands up as best he could without jostling either niece. “Well when you put it that way, yeah it does sound bloody romantic.” 

His family gave him about thirty seconds before they absolutely came for his entire life. Luna laughed loudly and did absolutely nothing to help him. She just made faces at the nieces and left him to the teasing. 

He withstood roughly five minutes of it before he decided to throw Fred to the wolves as well. Through the jokes and playful eyerolls, his twin could not keep a smile off his face. George hoped he didn’t look quite love-struck but by the glances Charlie kept sending him, he wasn’t doing very well of a job. 

He laced his fingers through Luna’s and she leaned up to kiss him. 

 

* * *

 

One of the best things about having a flat of your own the the heart of London was that it was surprisingly easy to intercept your friends on the way home and invite them around for tea. 

Tea, and drinks, and some muggle telly. While she had been on sick leave from work, Ginny had taken up watching Friends and LOST. Luna was wholly unable to keep their plots straight. 

Ginny thought it was hilarious and frequently had Luna try and explain what was going on to Harry who seemed to be enjoying her trying to decipher plotlines better than the actual shows. 

Take today for example, all it took was for her to take Harry by the arm as he stopped by Yasmin’s for an after work ice cream and steer him back to the flat to have a whole gathering of friends. They were currently all sprawled out on the couches and in chairs. Neville was near asleep next to her, Ron and Hermione were looking cute and relaxed cuddled up on the couch and Ginny was seemingly planning something devious while whispering to Harry. His eyes went wide and he turned to Luna. 

“You’re seeing someone?” He asked. He looked slightly offended that he didn’t already know and Luna made a note to try to send him owls more frequently. 

“For all I’ve seen of you these past couple weeks, why haven’t you said anything?”

“It’s very new still. We only just told his parents yesterday.”    
“No shit.” Ron said suddenly, “You saw my parents yesterday.” 

“Well she’s not dating--” Hermione’s words broke off mid-sentence and she turned, smiling wide, “Luna…”

“I caught her and George snogging in my very kitchen this morning!” Ginny blurted out like it had been taking everything in her not to blurt it all out immediately. 

“You’re kidding?” Hermione asked, nearly crawling into Ron’s lap to look at her, “You and George?”

“What is this?” Harry asked, “Are we all going to date a Weasley? Neville?”

Neville, who was currently half asleep next to Luna with his feet up on the table, made a silly little shrugging motion, “You know I only ever had eyes for Ron.” 

Luna nudged him as Ron did something ridiculous with his eyebrows, “You took Ginny to the Yule Ball at Hogwarts, remember?” 

Ginny started on her other side and laughed, “Merlin’s smell old socks--that’s right. I had forgotten all about that.” 

Neville shrugged again and winked at Ron who tossed a pillow in his direction. Luna diverted it with a flick of her wand and it went spiraling back and hit Ron right in the face. 

“I guess we should just be relieved that you didn’t get hurt trampling around all those Ministry-Restricted areas.” 

“I can’t believe half of us are working for the Ministry.” 

“I can’t believe we aren’t paid better by the Ministry. I mean we pretty much were the reason we weren’t all murdered by Voldemort and his groupies.” Ron took another sip of his beer and put his feet up on the coffee table as well. He nudged Neville’s feet. Neville smiled without opening his eyes and knocked his feet back against him. Luna plucked her drink from the table before it became a victim of their teasing. 

“You could always leave and go help your brothers with the shop,” she said after taking a sip and Ron had silently bemoaned his paycheque for a respectable amount of time. “I think they were discussing opening a second location.” 

“You know, I’m a little hurt you spend more time with Fred and George.”

“Well someone is always off on official Auror business. I’m always either at the paper, the flat or somewhere in Diagon Alley.” 

“How’s Hannah doing? She just took over the Leaky Cauldron, didn’t she?” Harry asked, completely innocently. Neville, who was never one for being subtle, blushed. 

Ron whistled, low and long and it took Harry a moment to realize what was going on. 

“Really?” He tucked his wand behind his ear, an absent-minded imitation of Luna and Ginny plucked out with a huff. She tossed it on the table and waved her hand in the air. 

“Don’t tease him. Go back to questioning Luna about her new relationship with my brother. There are a couple key things you’re still missing.”

“Like why George was over the flat to help with the spider?” 

Ginny nodded and Luna smiled as she took another sip. Ron pretended to look disgusted, Harry laughed and Neville opened his eyes to look at her. 

“Oh you all know why he was over don’t try to look all scandalized, it doesn’t suit any of you.”  Luna smiled as she leaned back into the chair and was careful not to jostle Neville too much. She was pretty sure he had a near-death experience with a plat today and she hadn’t quite figured out yet if it was his, the plant’s or both. 

“You know, I always wondered--” Harry began and was silenced by absolutely everyone in the room. 

“I don’t need to know if my brother’s good in bed.” Ginny groaned, “This is terrible. My friends need to stop dating my brothers.” 

“Oh he is.” Luna said as casually as she could for the dramatic effect. 

Ginny screamed and leaned forward in her chair, burying her face in her hands, “Luna!”

 

 

* * *

 

“Are you really going to keep her?” Yasmin asked, looking at the Wolpertinger asleep on the top shelf of exploding tea cups apprehensively. 

“She’s decided to stay with us for the time being, yes.” There was currently a heated debate over what her name should be. The current front runner was Mourib’s suggestion of Arib because it meant clever and ‘it showed that they were a pair.’ George didn’t know what it was but the Wolpertinger absolutely adored Fred’s boyfriend. When he stopped by that afternoon, she’d been clawing at the door to see him. 

“She’s decided to stay with us for the time being, yes.” 

Ginny burst through the front door wearing her Harpies Uniform, broom and Harry in hand. Harry had a mug from their flat and looked like he had been dragged straight from bed, “You know, I’m still not sure this wasn’t some crazy plot to seduce my flatmate.” 

Luna, who was right behind her with a literal pot of coffee and a bag of pastries, only put breakfast on the counter. George transfigured some empty baskets into mugs and poured them all some coffee. 

“How do I know that wasn’t Luna’s plan?” Fred countered only after he had coffee in his hands. 

“You found me out.” Luna shrugged and tossed a pastry to Yasmin. 

George wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, she smiled and took a long sip of her coffee. 

“How was your first day back at practice?”

Ginny beamed, looking happier than she had in weeks, “Nearly fell from my broom again when I went a little too close to a bludger.” 

Despite the worried look on Harry’s face, he was smiling. George however, did manage to raise an eyebrow. “If not for yourself, would you please try to be a bit more careful for the sake of everyone else here. I think think we’ll survive if you’re banned from Quidditch again.” 

“They can’t ban me a third time,” Ginny sniffed.

“So,” Harry said, wrapping an arm around their sister’s waist and bringing her close to him, “Luna’s told me you’ve been working on some new things?” 

George saw Fred’s eyes lit up as he hit him to take the lead. 

“We were thinking… what if we market magic-free areas?” 

Ginny sighed heatedly, “Not that I don’t think you could--I know the two could spell magic itself away--I just don’t know how safe it would be. Who know what kind of side effects could happen.” 

Harry nodded, holding onto his coffee like it was the most casual conversation he’d ever had, “Hermione mentioned how some of the wizards who were more involved with the magic-free zones have been having trouble with their magic. It comes and goes, spells are cast too weak or too strong without any sort of warning. It would be impressive as hell but...I don’t think it’d be worth it. At least not yet anyway.” 

“Well if our primary investor thinks we should hold off…” 

Harry laughed and ran a hand through his messy hair, “Piss off.” 

George smiled and Fred leaned across the counter, “What we have been working on is miniature Wolpertinger’s.” 

“Like--” Luna began, immediately too interested. 

“Well, as you all know, we’re already toeing the line with illegal magical creature breeding. So this would be more--”

“Spectral--”

“More the hint of an invasion--”

“Clear your classroom like the Wolpertinger cleared Diagon Alley.” 

“I don’t know why I didn’t expect this,” said Harry quietly to himself.  

“Oh that reminds me--” Luna said in the same quiet voice, “The pygmy puffs--”

They were currently out of stock of pygmy puffs because they were all still at Ginny and Luna’s flat. George shook his head and kissed her just because he could. 


End file.
